Web Domain Registration

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Author:
Steve Ashton

With domain name articles and tips floating around all over the Web, most people probably feel that they know a good deal about picking and protecting a domain name. However, some common domain name myths persist. Let’s debunk a few.

Myth: Once I register a domain, I can use it forever.

Fact: While it’s possible that you’ll keep your registered domain name forever, it’s not guaranteed. Several things can happen that would cause you to lose your domain name. First, you have to register your domain name each year (or register it for multiple years up front) in order to keep your access to it. If you forget to renew your registration, you could lose your domain name, or someone else can register it and charge you a huge fee to have it transferred back to your name. Second, you could lose your domain name in a trademark dispute.

Myth: My domain name is automatically trademarked, so no one else can ever use it or anything too similar to it (such as with other extensions).

Fact: A domain name cannot be trademarked in the US! It also isn’t protected by a copyright. However, if your business’ name is trademarked before anyone else is using it, then you could sue if someone registered a domain name using your business name (or a common misspelling) to sell products or services that are extremely similar to your own. For instance, if someone else ever tried to register something like Microsoft.net, or even microsort.net, for the purpose of selling computers and software, Microsoft could sue them to stop them from using the domain name. This is to stop scammers and competitors from trying to profit off of a trademarked name. In some countries, you can’t even register a domain with their country-specific extension unless you own the trademark there for that business name.

Myth: If I own the trademark for my company’s name, I automatically have the right to register my company’s name as a domain name.

Fact: You do not, in fact, have the right to register any domain name, even if you have a trademark on the corresponding company name. The reason for this is that a trademark on a business name doesn’t give you exclusive access to use that name. It only gives you exclusive access to use that name for the particular products and / or services that you offer. Going back to our above example, let’s say Microsoft forgot to renew their registration on Microsoft.net. While they could sue another computer manufacturer or software company for registering the domain name without question, let’s assume it’s registered by a small company making microfiber-covered sofas and other furniture. The name makes sense – ‘micro’ as an abbreviation for microfiber, and ‘soft’ because it’s a very soft fabric. That company has every right to use the company name Microsoft, and they would own the trademark for that company name as it applies to the products they sell. Because of that, Microsoft couldn’t do anything to get their .net domain name back except offering to buy it outright.

Myth: A domain is only worth registering if you can get the .com version.

Fact: Many web sites have been successful using .net, .org, and country-specific domain extensions. Don’t reject an otherwise good domain name just because the .com extension isn’t available. If you’re setting up a domain name based on keywords, a .net or .org shouldn’t make too much of a difference. If you’re selling products or services to only residents of your country, a country-specific domain extension could prove to be quite profitable for you, as it tells your target market that you’re specifically selling to them.

Myth: You should never use dashes in a domain name.

Fact: While including dashes in a domain name isn’t ideal, it also shouldn’t be forbidden. Dashes make it harder to market your domain name via word of mouth, but they can be very effective if you’re determined to use a keyword-rich domain name for a general content site, if the version without the dashes isn’t available.

Copyright 2006 Stephen Ashton

Learn more domain name tips at http://www.domainnamescenter.com and find cheap web hosting at http://www.abetterwebhost.com

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Domain Names... Buying Domain Names Without Getting Robbed As domain names continue to make its way to popularity, the process of buying domain names now becomes a certain commodity. In fact, right now hundreds of companies in the business of buying domain names, either as domain name registrars in their own right or as domain name resellers of domain name registrar services, are really into it. So if you are one of them and you have an intense desire for buying domain names, you should then know some facts and some helpful tactics when it comes to the business of buying domain names. Here it is. There are indeed several important things to be paid attention when buying domain names. First is those is the fact that when buying domain names, you need access to two name servers, or at least the address of two name servers that you are entitled to apply. Speaking of the name servers, it is interesting to know that those are the machines that convert a domain name into the underlying Internet Protocol or IP address. Due to such importance of the name servers in the process of buying domain names, most companies today include some name server access as part of their general service; however, there are also some companies that charge some extra amount for such service. In the process of buying domain names, it is just a typical thing that you give the appropriate and accurate contact information for the truth that it is so common to come across domain names with phony or blank ownership records. However, as the domain name registrars tightened the rules surrounding the information contained in the contact portion of the business for buying domain names, some sorts of gradual crackdown are going on. Even though there is some control in the rules for buying domain names, many experts still recommend the use of a permanent email...